Still Me by Jojo Moyes FIC Moy

I have read a couple of other books by Moyes and enjoyed them. The main character in this book, Louisa Clark, was introduced in the book Me Before You.  It has been so long since I read that one I only remember it generally and that I liked it!  You certainly don't have to have read that book to enjoy this one - she gives enough information that you know what happened.

Louisa is leaving England for an adventure for a year.  It wasn't easy to leave behind her family and Sam, the love of her life but she wants to live in New York City and take advantage of all it has to offer.   Her new employers are the ultra-rich Gopniks.

They live in a large apartment with plenty of staff and of course lots of drama! Louisa's job is to be an assistant to the young and beautiful Mrs. Gopniks (who is a former masseuse from Poland).  Mrs. Gopniks should have an easy life.  Her husband adores her.  But his ex-wife still runs in the same social circles and she is always trying to humiliate her successor.

There are a cast of characters who live in the apartment building - a handsome, rich American man, and a dog who has an important role in the story.  A touch of romance, some secrets and a glimpse into the world of the rich - an enjoyable story!

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Less by Andrew Sean Greer FIC Gre

Arthur Less, a mildly successful author, has just learned that his former lover, Freddy, is going to be married.  Still not quite sure how they broke up and determined not to attend the wedding, Arthur decides to take advantage of all the offers that have come his way in recent weeks.  So he sets out on an around-the-world trip that will take him from a disastrous interview with a well-known science fiction author in New York City to Italy where he may or may not win an award for his writing.  From there he'll travel to Berlin to serve as an artist-in-residence and on his way from there to Morocco he'll end up spending a longer than anticipated layover in Paris.  But wait!  Arthur isn't done traveling yet.  After Morocco, he'll visit a writer's retreat in India before ending his journey in Japan to do a food writing review. And somewhere in there, he'll turn fifty.

Along the way and in-between adventures, he'll remember his first love, the renowned poet, Robert Brownward, and their relationship.  And always in the background is Freddy and their life together.

Not much goes smoothly on this trip of Arthur's yet he always manages to make it from one stop to the next.  Sometimes I wasn't sure if he would!  Does he mature and grow along the way?  Well, if I told you that, I might ruin the book for you but finding out is both funny and heartwarming.  Arthur is an endearing character and I enjoyed his journey a great deal.

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The Widows of Malabar Hill by Sujata Massey MYS Mas

In 1921 Perveen Mistry is the only female attorney in Bombay, India.  Well, not technically an attorney since females aren't allowed in the bar but she has graduated from law school in England and works in her father's law office reading contracts and wills and doing basic legal work.

When a client dies leaving three wives and children behind, Mistry Law is charged with executing his estate.  They receive a request from the widows asking that their marriage portion be given to a local charity, a definite change in the original terms.  Complicating this request is that the widows live in purdah or complete seclusion.  As the only person able to communicate with them, Perveen is delegated to visit them and explain what might happen.  Little does she expect that murder will result.

I have to admit that stories set in India don't generally appeal to me.  So I'm not sure exactly why I picked up this mystery.  But I'm glad I did.  It was an interesting look into Indian culture (and food!).  Perveen lives a fairly privileged life but she is aware of the misfortunes of those who don't live as she does.  Despite the limitations imposed on her by British and Indian society, she is determined to improve herself and to persevere until she is considered a "real" lawyer.

The first in a series, I'm looking forward to the next installment.

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Anatomy of a Scandal by Sarah Vaughan FIC Vau

Even though I can watch TV or read articles online about real-life scandals I still enjoyed reading a fictional account!  James has always been a golden boy.  He was born into a privileged family.  At an Oxford college he was good friends with a guy who would become the prime minister. When the story begins we are introduced to his wife, Sophie, and their kids.  In part due to his friend, James is working in the government and enjoying a successful career.  Everything is on the cusp of following apart because he has been accused of raping his assistant.  James has to tell Sophie before the news becomes public.  In shock Sophie nevertheless is certain that her husband is innocent and is determined to stand by her man.  Of course that isn't easy.  It is even harder when she finds out that he had been having an affair with the woman!

The lawyer who is prosecuting the case is named Kate.  Her life has revolved around her job and she is going to do her best to put James away because she believes he is guilty.  Throughout the story of the trial are flashbacks to the lives of James, Sophie and Kate which explains a lot.  A good read!

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The Woman in the Window by A. J. Finn FIC Fin

It’s a great book.  Read it!  I could finish with that statement but I’ll tell you a bit about it anyway. It’s the story of Anna Fox who lives alone in a very small world.  She suffers from severe agoraphobia which prevents her from leaving her home.  Her groceries (and more importantly to her, the cases of wine) are delivered to her door.  She was once a professional but now she spends most of her time watching old movies.  Her other ‘hobby’ is using her camera to watch her neighbors.  Their patterns of daily life are as familiar to her as her own.

The newest family to move onto her block is the Russell family - mom, dad, and a teen-aged son.  If you watch a family long enough you might see something you wish you hadn’t!  An entertaining read!

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Bringing Columbia Home by Michael Leinbach and Jonathan Ward 363.124 Lei

I like reading non-fiction and have read many books about historical moments of tragedy.  For me, however, this one is a bit different because it just happened 15 years ago and I remember when it happened.  I think that is why it was a more emotional read than others have been.  I am so old that I remember when we started exploring space.  I was in 7th grade and I was not all that excited about it. I was of course aware of the program as it expanded and I was certainly glued to the TV as man walked on the moon.  The shuttle program was impressive but it became a usual event.  But then the Challenger exploded - I remember that day so well.

Michael Leinbach was the launch director of the space shuttle program.  When the Columbia was lost he was impacted on many levels.  You can really feel the emotional distress in this book. The desperate search to find remains of all the crew members was done by many volunteers and also by friends and colleagues of those lost.  The physical challenges to bring home those remains and as much of the Columbia as they could were brutal.  The terrain was so rough that one man said his clothes would barely last for two days before they had to be replaced.

This was a touching and important book.

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The Breakdown by B.A. Paris MYS Par

I really enjoyed Paris’ last book so I was eager to read this one.  One night Cass is on her way home after an evening with friends.  It’s dark and rainy.  Her husband had called her to say that he wouldn’t be up when she arrived home because he had a migraine and was going to bed.  He was very clear that she was not to take the shortcut through the forest because of the storm and the isolation of the road.  Cass knew that was good advice and intended to follow it - until the storm became worse and when she saw the turnoff she took it.  She comes upon a car that is just sitting in the middle of the road.  Cass waits to see if the woman who is sitting inside signals for help.  But she doesn’t.  Cass doesn’t have a very clear look at the woman because of the pouring rain. And she continues on her way to the safety of her home.

The next day she is shocked to find out that a woman had been found murdered on that road.  Her instinct is to tell no one - she really didn’t have any knowledge that would help.  But as the days went on it weighed more heavily on her mind.  And her mind is having enough problems.  She can’t seem to remember things - where she parked the car, the code for the alarm and so on.  She confides in her best friend about her fears.  Rachel has been her friend forever and knows that Cass’ mom died after suffering from early-onset Alzheimer’s.  She understands why Cass is so worried.

Her husband is also trying to be supportive but Cass gets the feeling that he is losing patience with her.  Cass’ life is becoming a nightmare.  The guilt she hides about seeing the woman that night, the hang-up phone calls she gets at home and her inability to convince herself she isn’t losing her mind.

It was an entertaining read!

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